Can Keegan Murray Breakout in Year 4: 2025-26 Sacramento Kings Preview

Keen Murray is entering a pivotal fourth season in his NBA career as the Sacramento Kings look to reshape the roster under Scott Perry.

Dec 18, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) prepares to symbolically light the beam after a win against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings don't have many young and exciting players to build around as Scott Perry takes over the roster, but if there's one that stands out, it's fourth-year wing Keegan Murray.

Murray came out of the gate strong in his rookie season, making a record-setting 206 threes on 41.1% shooting from deep. But since he's shot 35.8% and 34.3% from deep the last two seasons, leaving room to get back to his sharpshooting ways in his first season.

While Murray has improved his all-around game, his three-point shooting will continue to be the x-factor for not only his career, but this upcoming season for the Kings as well.

Sacramento Kings Season Previews: Domantas Sabonis | DeMar DeRozan | Zach LaVine

2024-25 Season Recap

12.4 PTS, 6.7 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.9 BLK, 44.4 FG%, 34.3 3P%

While Murray didn't shoot lights out from three last season, he was still one of the Kings' most productive players thanks to his improved rebounding and defense.

Murray also had the unfortunate circumstance of being the Kings only true wing player, and was asked to do everything on the court for the team. From guarding the opposing teams best player to being put at the center position for short spurts, Murray was asked to do a lot throughout the season that didn't show up in the box score.

The hope for last season was that Murray would learn from DeRozan and continue to develop his off-the-dribble game, but Murray actually saw his field goal attempts decrease from 12.7 in his sophomore season to 10.8 last year.

Overall, Murray had another productive year, but his dip in three-point shooting and fit with the players around him makes it hard to envision him being a true star that many thought he might become when he first entered the league.

Biggest Question for 2025-26 Season

Mar 13, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) shoots over Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

For Murray, there are questions around his role for the upcoming season and how he will get more shots. But the biggest question surrounding him continues to be his future with the team, including his possible contract extension.

Murray is eligible for a rookie contract extension, but there have been little to no updates on whether he and the Kings are going to come to an agreement before the season gets underway. It's still possible that Perry and the Kings get a deal done, but if not, Murray will hit restricted free agency next offseason.

We've seen how restricted free agency has gone this offseason for players like Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Cam Thomas. It's possible it could get messy between the Kings and Murray as well, especially if they have another underwhelming season that leads Murray to want to play for another team.

Murray will likely get asked about his extension on media day, but for now, we're left wondering if he and the team will agree on a deal before the season gets underway.

Biggest Concern

While the Kings aren't expected to do much in the Western Conference this year, they do have talent on the roster. And the fear regarding Murray is that he once again gets lost in the shuffle of veterans who need the ball in their hands.

Between Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis, it's hard to find shots for Murray in the offense. And with Murray not being the most aggressive player on that side of the ball, he can get lost in the shuffle at times.

There's still hope that Murray can blossom into a true star, but if he fades into the fourth or fifth option for the Kings once again, that's going to be harder for him to do as his NBA career continues on.

Ideally, we'll see Murray have a more prominent role in Doug Christie's high-volume three-point shooting offense, but we could see LaVine, DeRozan, and others command more shots, and hinder Murray's growth for a second straight year.